Okay, I always write long posts so this won't be any exception. I'll break it up so y'all can scroll to the parts you want.
Part One: Why I'm So Excited
Offense: I'm excited for a few reasons. One is clearly Cam Akers. The more film I watch on him, the more from a pattern perspective I see a slightly slower, slightly less jukey, harder to bring down version of Marshall Faulk. He's got wicked soft hands, makes one-handed contested catches and runs legit routes. Having been a QB, that makes sense. He's got that "coach on the field" mentality like Marshall as well. I am fairly certain that when McVay sees up close what he can do, we're going to see him featured in the run game and the pass game. Moreover, with Cam Akers, we will have a legit option for those screen passes that McVay is so enamored with.
Van Jefferson rounds out a WR room that will have Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, and Josh Reynolds. Van Jefferson as a rookie reminds me a bit of Isaac Bruce. He's a VERY polished route runner who can immediately contribute and like Cooper Kupp, he has elite open field speed. With Cam Akers, who I think will be the feature back by the third game of the season if not sooner, we'll have 7 legit pass catching threats including Higbee and Everett.
When it comes to the OL, I more and more am liking them. Evans was a stud last year (he stoned Khalil Mack in that Bears game so much that Mack was getting noticeably frustrated). With another off-season and more exposure to the offense, I think Evans will beat out Havenstein for the RT spot. I kinda get tired of hearing about RTs that "this guy struggles with speed." Duh. All RTs struggle with speed. If the guy could handle speed easily, he'd be converted to an LT. Otherwise, Evans did well against VERY high level competition. Edwards and Corbett also solidify the OL. I think the Center position will be good enough and Whit is still very good if not elite. The OL overall will be a positive for the Rams this season and with the increased success of the running game, this offense is looking to really explode.
About the running game. Todd Gurley was an All World back in 2018 up until the end. However, in 2019, there was a big difference. He still had straight line speed, but the ability to plant and go, to stick his foot in the turf, pivot and explode through the line just wasn't there and that's what made him special. Gurley became an ordinary back and it showed. Malcolm Brown is a really great backup and even decent as part of a committee, but he's not a feature back and it showed. McVay relies on play action as much as anyone in the league, so if there's not a synergy between the run and pass, then the whole offense grinds to a halt.
What Cam Akers brings in the positive that Gurley didn't is more patience in getting his blocking set up as well as far more sudden lateral movements. Gurley wouldn't have been drafted if he had to run behind that FSU OL as he's an exceptional outside zone runner with his speed and power. He was a home run hitter, to mix sports analogies, but he was never scatty enough to make up for missed blocks and that was at his best. Akers is exceptional at making something from nothing and is used to running against 8 and 9 man fronts. I really think teams are gonna shy away from that 6-1 look once McVay schemes Akers to really burn that look. And rest assured, if there's one thing McVay has worked on, it's defeating that 6-1 look more completely.
So, when you have Goff who can run this offense fully now as well as veterans like Woods, Kupp, and Big Whit along with McVay and the new OC Kevin O'Connell, I see the strong likelihood for strong chemistry on offense among the players as well as more offensive minds to ensure McVay doesn't get so in a rut that he becomes predictable as he has at times over the last two years.
But beyond any individual player or unit within the offense, I can't recall a time since the GSOT when the Rams had so many players of a like mindset. Even the 2018 team had folks who were...kinda there, but this team just looks to be built differently. I think there will be more toughness in the trenches and with us being able to grind out yards with Akers, the play action will once again become the deadliest in the league.
Defense: Hooo boy, is this defense stacked. It's the first time in the McVay era that the D may be stronger than the O and this O has everything it needs to be a top 3 offense in the NFL, competing with KC and NO.
So, do people not realize how tough our DL is? A'Shawn Robinson is a mountain of a man that HAS to be doubled or he's gonna collapse the pocket by himself. Moreover, he's solid as both a 1 gap and 2 gap DL as is Brockers. AD is a mutant who's pod landed just outside Pittsburgh and was raised by a loving family until he realized his destiny as the destroyer of NFL offenses. Our ability to play the run is so much better than last year. Remember when Suh decided to show up in late 2018? How the D all of a sudden became stout? Yeah, well, A'Shawn is a guy who brings it all day, not just when he feels like it. Brockers has always been steady, if not spectacular, and definitely solid in Run D.
Honestly, by the end of the year, people are gonna recognize our LB corps as a unit of strength.
At OLB, we’ve got Ebukam and Floyd, both very stout in the run, Obo looking to break out as a pass rush specialist and Terrell Lewis who I think has the most upside of any Rams draftee. Honestly, if the starts align, we could easily see Akers win OROY and Lewis win DROY. I don’t think that happens with Lewis as there are really good guys ahead of him, but yeah, his ceiling is off the charts.
At ILB, there’s a glut of talented guys waiting for more time. We’ve got Kiser who the coaches like and I’m meh on, but guys who show real promise like Natrez Patrick, Troy Reeder and my dark horse star, Clay Johnston. Without Littleton, I think the ILB jobs are up for grabs and it’s anyone’s guess who comes out on top. This a good, hungry young group that can fly to the ball and get physical in a hurry. Also, both Patrick and Johnston are big thumpers, something this D hasn’t had in awhile. I can see against teams like the 9ers us seeing more of them.
Look, the Ravens figured out a long time ago that you win with football players and few teams drafted better than they have. Well, we’ve focused on football players…Kupp, JJ3, Higbee, etc. these guys don’t have the greatest measureables, but they are very good football players. Such is the case with guys like Van Jefferson and Clay Johnston. He’ll probably play mostly on Special teams at first, but he’ll show up and add that depth that winning teams have.
Our secondary is one of the better ones. Once the guys had a chance to play together, Hill and Ramsey finished as the #1 and #2 rated DBs in all of football from week 12-17 (last third of season). That’s pretty spectacular stuff. With our vastly improved run D (yeah, A’Shawn Robinson is a MASSIVE upgrade over SJD), we should see more passing downs and more chances to watch this unit shine. Rapp looks to be a bonified star and JJ3 is also a stud. Terrell Burgess is gonna contribute as a rookie and he’s the kind of player that gives creative DCs goosebumps.
Part Two: Roster
Okay, when it comes to the roster, I just have no feel for the UDFAs, so honestly, I dunno if any make it. This team is more stacked as you look at each position as well as the likelihood that if the draftees stick, there’s just no positions available. And that would make sense, over the last 2 or 3 years, no team has had more guys picked up after waiving them than the Rams. Some UDFAs will make it, I’m sure, but I just can’t see at this moment which. I’m least sure of this section. The hype and schedule? More sure of those.
Offense 24
QB (2): Goff, Wolford. Love goes to the PS unless they have to put him on the active squad due to him balling out in the PS
RB (3): Akers, Brown, Henderson. I think the shorter off-season helps Kelly stay on the roster.
WR (6): Kupp, Woods, Reynolds, Jefferson, Webster, Koski. I think they still only carry 6 WRs this year. They have the guys they want and others wouldn’t get any chances anyway. It’s more likely that extra TEs, Safeties and LBs get picked for ST duties. Of the UDFAs, I like JJ Koski as someone who can do returns initially and grow as a WR. He looks a bit like Kupp in how he plays. Deceptive speed, soft hands, confident runner with the ball, excellent getting off press man and getting noticed from Cal Poly with his QB? Yeah this kid could be one of our UDFA surprises. That said, he still has to win the returner job or it’ll be one of the others. I don’t think we keep 7 as we don’t need to spell Cooks as often.
TE (3): Higbee, Everett, Hopkins. I think we only go with 3 TEs as there is so much ST talent on the D side that I think the edge goes there.
OL (9): Whitworth, Corbett, Blythe, Edwards, Evans, Havenstein, Noteboom, Allen, Anchrum. I think the last spot will be between Anchrum, Shelton and Demby with whoever wins being the one who picks up the Center spot best, even if they don’t do the OL calls.
Defense 26
DL (6): Brockers, Robinson, Donald, Fox, SJD, Gaines. That’s it. Both SJD and Gaines can play along the line in limited rotations and I think the Rams are glad to have Fox back. A UDFA could push Gaines here, I think.
OLB (6): Ebukam, Floyd, Okoronkwo, Lewis, Patrick, Lawler. This is a young group with TONS of upside, just as fast, but more size. Obo and Lewis have the potential to be special pass rushers and Lewis can be the complete OLB package (obo’s a bit light to be stout in run support). Ebukam is solid and has shown up in big games and Floyd in this system should do similar to Fowler. Floyd actually has better stats coming in than Fowler had. Floyd is also a tad longer than Fowler. After some hand work with AD… yeah, he’s gonna be solid. I still think they try Patrick at OLB and have him as depth for both.
ILB (3): Kiser, Reeder, Howard or Johnston. I think Howard is the odd man out here. They only kept 3 ILBs last year, and I think Staley is gonna want more size among the ILBs since they tend to only be 2 down players these days.
CB (6): Ramsey, Hill, Long, Williams, Deayon, Taylor. HEY A UDFA. The more I looked at Levonta Taylor, the more I like him to make the team. He’s a dog. Played in 2018 with a significant back injury before switching to Safety in 2019. Not great size, but great heart. Willingly and successfully played much bigger WRs and tracks the ball well. Well suited for the slot. He’s played outside, inside and safety, so he has that versatility that Brandon Staley wants and appreciates. If they only carry 5 CBs, I think Taylor def goes to the PS. Do I really need to talk about Ramsey, Hill, Long or Williams? Deayon also showed up in spot play.
Safety (5): Johnson, Rapp, Burgess, Scott, Fuller. I think Scott stays, but Gervase goes as the new ST coach, Bonamego, takes a fresh look. Burgess is a definite as he’s gonna be that hybrid LB/S they like to use in hybrid dime packages.
Special Teams (3): Hekker, McQuaide, some PK. I think Webster is gonna be our PR and the 6th WR likely the KR, so that’s it. Unlike every other position, the PK is gonna come down to consistency and depth of kickoffs. I have this feeling about Hajrullahu, but I think all three are solid kickers. All have enough leg, so, who knows?
I really like this roster and any changes are likely to be depth with little impact on the overall season results.
We’re not playing last year’s schedule or with last year’s players. I could go into why I think, for example, Ebukam and Floyd are an overall upgrade over Fowler and Matthews, but this is already a really long post and I have examples all over the roster. I honestly don’t think we got weaker at any position. Not a single one… well, okay, ILB because Littleton was a standout player. Still, overall, I like that unit.
Part Three: Season
Sept. 13: vs. Dallas, WIN. (1-0) With Mike McCarthy bringing in a new offense, I think this will be the best time to play the Cowboys. If he gets things rolling, they could be very dangerous late in the season, but initially, I think our D will take advantage of offensive miscues and win a relatively close and sometimes sloppy game.
Sept. 20: at Philadelphia, WIN. (2-0) Our front seven off to a fast start turn this into a slugfest. Close win with a big play late making the difference.
Sept. 27: at Buffalo, Loss. (2-1) Historically, winning the 2nd game in a row away is only like a 26% proposition. Add in a healthy Buffalo D and this is tough. It’s possible we win with a defensive score, but this a loss to the schedule more than Buffalo.
Oct. 4: vs. N.Y. Giants, WIN. (3-1) Giants are still a bit of a mess. Their young QB has a ways to go and our DBs will make them one dimensional. With our better run D, their offense is stymied and we win a solid win at home.
Oct. 11: at Washington, WIN. (4-1) This is the get back for McVay. Rest assured, he’s gonna want to win this one and we do. Once again, our D steps up and our O really starts to click. Very solid win on the road.
Oct. 18: at San Francisco, Loss. (4-2) Again, 2nd game in a row on the road, at SF against a solid and confident team. We’ll get them at home, but they take this one on the road. Also, they’re gonna be talking about this game for awhile. Lots of defensive highlights.
Oct. 26: vs Chicago, WIN. (5-2) We know how to deal with the 6-1 defensive front and they still have Trubisky. At home, this is a solid Monday night win.
Nov. 1: at Miami, WIN. (6-2) By this time, we’re likely seeing a Fitzpatrick that’s about to sit or a rookie Tua and either is okay with me. Another solid road win even with a slightly shorter week.
Nov. 15: vs. Seattle, WIN. (7-2) The addition of Duane Brown at LT makes this harder, but no one player changes the dynamic of this epic clash. We’d beat them with Fisher rosters and they’d beat us with Wilson and a ham sandwich. At home in the new digs, we got this. Again, our D shutting down the run changes the dynamic of the game.
Nov. 23: at Tampa Bay, WIN. (8-2) Confident team. Tampa seems loaded, but either they’re gonna install the EP offense or Brady’s gonna have to learn something new. Neither is gonna be smooth. This has all the makings of that Philly “Dream Team” situation a few years ago. Not the pushover they once were, but we win on the road…and AD gets to Brady…twice. Brady no likey.
Nov. 29: vs. San Francisco, WIN. (9-2) Nothing cute. We take our momentum and defend our new home. Ramsey on Kittle as much as possible and stuff the run. Grind it out win at home.
Dec. 6: at Arizona, WIN. (10-2) They flash plays to keep it close, but they can’t sustain against our D or our O. Tougher than expected road win.
Dec. 10: vs. New England, WIN. (11-2) Belichick could bring in the nuns from the Sisters of Perpetual Asthma and still win 9 games in that division. Won’t matter as the Rams are now playing for the #1 seed and are hunting the rest of the schedule. MUCH tougher win on a short week at home than you would expect of a team so outgunned.
Dec. 19 or 20: at N.Y. Jets, WIN. (12-2) This late in the season, the Jets are far out of it and the Rams have the #1 seed in sight. Hasn’t always been pretty, but this Rams team that looked so high-flying has surprised with some really gritty wins. This game isn’t particularly hard, but the team is focused and takes the win.
Dec. 27: at Seattle, Loss. (12-3) Heartbreaking loss on the road in December where we’ve played I think the last or 2nd to last game of the season in 5 of the last 7 seasons? Something like that. Crappy conditions and Seattle battling for that 7 seed send us home to regroup.
Jan. 3: vs. Arizona, WIN. (13-3) We win to lock up the #1 seed and home field advantage throughout. AZ was tough in their crib, but we are much tougher in ours and finish the right way.
The folks who see us going 10-6 or worse think we’re gonna lose both games to both the Seahawks and the 9ers and split with the Cards. Some think we go 0-6 in our own division.
That’s not happening.
Teams will not be able to stack the box and turn us one dimensional. They will not be able to dial the offense back to the 80s and beat us with John Robinson’s ghost. Nope. This year we finish 13-3 and finish the job.
This year we hoist the Lombardi.
I am so psyched for this season!!!
